Festival fans and music lovers will converge in Kennesaw for two days of barbeque bliss at the City of Kennesaw’s Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival presented by XFINITY on Friday, August 25, 6 – 10 pm and Saturday, August 26, 10 am – 10 pm at Adams Park. The event will be held rain or shine. Admission is free.
From its humble beginnings, Pigs & Peaches has grown into one of the region’s most beloved festivals attracting an estimated 65,000 attendees annually. Now in its 17th year, the festival features two days of non-stop music, good eats, cold beer and interactive family-fun. Attendees will find over 200 vendors, exhibitor and contestant booths, a Kid Zone full of inflatable jumpers, amusements and attractions, tons of tasty treats to satisfy every whim, and an incredible lineup of live entertainment and street performers.
At the heart of the festival is a Kansas City Barbeque Society sanctioned competition, which is also recognized as official Georgia BBQ Championship event. Additional cooking events include a Backyard contest for amateurs, Anything Butt and Peach Dessert contests, and a Kids’ Que Cook-off for budding young pitmasters. Over $16,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded to contest winners.
Music headliners on the XFINITY Main Stage include the hook-heavy, alt-rock trio Kick the Robot on Friday at 8:30 pm, and GRAMMY-nominated and Atlanta-based, folk-rock troubadour Shawn Mullins on Saturday at 8 pm. Supporting acts include Smokey’s Farmland Band, Diane Durrett & Melissa “Junebug” Massey, Lilac Wine and Ah Surely!.
Musicians on the Miller Lite Locally Brewed Stage include Kevin Dunbar, the School of Rock East Cobb House Band, Hailey Fletcher, Riley Biederer, Wesley Cook, Highbeams, Sons-N-Britches, and Roger “Hurricane” Wilson & The Hurricane Homeboys.
The Silver Wings Command Exhibition Parachute Demonstration Team from Fort Benning will drop in on the festival on Saturday at 11:45 am.
Other attractions include helicopter rides, a side-by-side zip-line, and the SCANA Energy Family Stage showcasing regional dance and performance groups.
Saturday’s activities will be capped off with a spectacular fireworks finale at 9:30 pm.
While public tasting is not offered as part of the BBQ competition, there will be dozens of vendors (including several cook teams) who will be selling barbeque and other food and beverages, including beer. Prices will vary among vendors.
For the safety and comfort of festival goers, owners are discouraged from bringing their four-legged family members. Many dogs do not respond well to large crowds, loud noises and the heat.
Public parking is available at several locations in downtown Kennesaw. Limited handicap parking is available at Adams Park, 2753 Watts Drive. Courtesy shuttles will provide round-trip service to the festival from Swift-Cantrell Park, 3140 Old Highway 41 and Kennesaw Elementary School, 3155 Jiles Road.
For more information, visit pigsandpeaches.com or call Kennesaw Parks & Recreation at 770-422-9714.